Microsoft Releases Windows Server Insider Preview Build

Microsoft adds its server operating system to the Windows Insider program as it prepares to release major updates twice a year

Microsoft is giving Windows Server the Insider treatment.Last month, the software maker announced that Windows Server was moving to a semi-annual update schedule, similar to Windows 10 and Office.

To test upcoming updates and gather feedback, Microsoft makes early builds of its desktop operating system and productivity software to members of the Windows Insider and Office Insider programs, respectively.

Now, Windows Insider or Windows Insider for Business users can be among the first to see what the next major update to Windows Server has in store, including a trimmer Nano Server installation option.

“To optimize for containers, several features were removed that were in the Nano Server base image in Windows Server 2016, these include WMI [Windows Management Instrumentation], PowerShell, .NET Core, and the Servicing stack, which has significantly reduced the image size,” blogged Dona Sarkar, a software engineer at the Microsoft Windows and Devices Group and head of Windows Insider.

Another streamlined installation option, Windows Server Core, had its size reduced by 20 percent in the latest build.